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Celebrating and Being Proud of Self-Harm Recovery

May 18, 2015 Kalie Gipson

Feeling proud and celebrating self-harm recovery can help keep us in recovery. Here's how to feel proud when you recover from self-harm and celebrate.

The shame of self-harm can make it difficult to celebrate and feeling proud of our self-harm recovery, no matter how long or short we have gone without self-injuring. Others factors, such as self-harm stigma, can also keep us silent and regretful, even when we have every reason to be proud. It is essential to celebrate our self-harm recovery, as it helps prevent relapse and keeps us moving in the right direction.

I have gone six months without cutting. My goal is to make it an entire year and I'm halfway there. One of the things that keeps me from self-harming when I get the urge is the fact that I've gone so long without doing it. With each day that goes by without self-harm, the urge lessens. This isn't to say that the urge goes away, because it never really does. But when we can go days, weeks, months, and years without hurting ourselves, it simply gets easier not to. Since self-injury can turn into an addiction, we have every reason for self-harm recovery celebration and pride.

Stigma Can Keep Us From Feeling Proud and Celebrating Self-Harm Recovery

Unfortunately, stigma can be a big factor when it comes to the pride we feel about self-harm recovery as well as self-harm recovery celebration. There is a cloud of shame that follows us around, and a good chunk of that has to do with the stigma surrounding self-harm. It's often considered attention-seeking behavior, only a teenage phenomenon, or failed attempts at suicide. These are self-injury myths, but they carry major traction. They may keep us from speaking out about our recovery from self-injury and being proud of ourselves in general. Even if we know that these are common misconceptions, we can internalize the stigma and start to believe it ourselves. Am I attention-seeking? Am I just not trying hard enough to stop? I understand how easy it is to give in to the stigma, because I've done it before, but I promise that your addiction is valid and you have a right to be proud when you go any length of time without hurting yourself.

Friends and Family Members Can Help with Pride, Celebration and Self-Harm Recovery

Celebrating and being proud of self-harm recovery can help keep us in recovery. Here's how to feel proud when you recover from self-harm and celebrate.

Celebrating our self-harm recovery can also garner the support we may need to keep our
streak going. Even if you don't want to broadcast your self-injury recovery to more than a few close friends and family members, the ones you choose to disclose your recovery to can make all the difference when you feel you are about to relapse. If we reach out, they can help us think clearly through times of significant stress and triggers. They can also share in our self-harm recovery celebration, and it's a great feeling when others are as proud of you as you are of yourself.

Simply put, there are factors that can keep us from being proud of ourselves and celebrating our recovery, but there are also factors that can make our recovery easier. Taking pride in our ability to break the addiction can keep us from going back to it. Recognizing that stigma is just that--stigma--also helps. Having friends and family share in your celebration not only makes us feel great but gives us an outlet for when we are thinking about relapsing. Being in recovery is a great feeling, and we deserve to celebrate even the smallest victories.

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APA Reference
Gipson, K. (2015, May 18). Celebrating and Being Proud of Self-Harm Recovery, HealthyPlace. Retrieved on 2024, November 10 from https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/speakingoutaboutselfinjury/2015/05/celebrating-self-harm-recovery



Author: Kalie Gipson

Julia
August, 5 2024 at 4:48 pm

i haven't self harmed in 3 years and 5 months!

Loops
April, 30 2023 at 10:32 am

I could never get past six or eight months when I was younger but this year I'll be hitting the five years clean from the last time I self-harmed.
I never thought I'd make it this far. I no longer hide my scars, only did so due to family being ashamed. But now I show them, I'm proud over them. I like to show I've came so far since that stage in my life. I've never been embarrassed, I was hurt and needed a release when I self-harmed, I don't see the point of being ashamed over being hurt. I am proud over my five years and I'm praying to reach ten years one day in the future.
I'm actually thinking about celebrating the five year mark, not sure how, but It's a hopeful plan.

Mimi
July, 29 2024 at 8:53 am

Congratulations!!!!! Super proud of you!!!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🥂🥂✨️✨️

Bri
March, 20 2022 at 3:55 pm

This Saturday I'll be 6 months clean from self-harm!!!
I've been self-harming for about 8 years and I was never able to make it past 3 months clean, but now I'm about to be clean for half a year <3

March, 23 2022 at 1:46 pm

Hi Bri,
That is a HUGE milestone and such wonderful news to hear. I'm happy for you; congratulations! :)
Sincerely,
Kim

Samantha
August, 22 2021 at 11:21 pm

This month of august on the 10th marks 6 months since I have decided to stop self harm. I celebrated my self harm recovery by tattooing under my scars reminding me that everything will calm down and things will be better. It gets hard not to self harm especially when it’s become a habit, something I do to cope with my feelings, but as each day and months goes by and I don’t cut, I feel proud of myself. I used to be afraid and always hide my scars but I learned to not be ashamed of my scar, they tell a story, and I am warrior for fighting my own battles and not giving up on myself.

August, 25 2021 at 5:02 pm

Hi Samantha,
Congratulations on hitting the 6-month mark! That is huge progress, and it sounds like you found a lovely way to celebrate it. Self-injury can be SUCH a hard habit to break, but you're making more progress every day you stay committed to your recovery. Thank you so much for sharing your experience; even though we all walk our own paths, it's always inspiring to hear from someone else following a similar road. I wish you all the best as you continue your recovery journey!
Sincerely,
Kim

RKP
November, 21 2020 at 6:22 am

Today my 13 year old son is celebrating a month of not self-harming. I am an alcoholic- and I have seen sober for over twenty years, and I know first-hand the importance of celebrating milestones in recovery. Prior to my son's self-harming, I did not know a lot about it. However, reading everything I could find, talking with his therapist about it, and talking with my son about it, I have come to realize that it is something that will not just "go away"; not something he can just stop "because". So, I made a point to make this day very special for him. I got him a 30-day medallion from my meeting to give to him. Then, he and I are going to spend the day together- celebrating him and his recovery. Thank you so much - all of you- for sharing your experience, strength, and hope on this site. Please keep my son in your prayers.. Sending love and light to all of you. Thank you so much.

cate
June, 27 2021 at 11:48 am

Hi,
Just read your post from November 2020, and i hope you and your son are both doing well now, 7 months later. I thought this would be a nice reminder for you so you could look back on how you were doing 7 months ago and see how far you two have come since then. I hope things are well! It’s always important to celebrate those milestones, and i’m sure your son really appreciates you celebrating them with him.

Juliette
May, 9 2020 at 2:18 am

Congratulations all of you!! You gave every right to be proud. Today we are making a One year self-harm free cake to celebrate my daughter’s achievement ! 🎉🎉😁😁❤️❤️🙏🙏🥳🥳💃

Amanda
July, 8 2017 at 8:47 pm

Hi, I know this post is old but keep on pushing forward to stop self harming and spreading the word about the truth of it. Next year, will be 10 years for me and I'm 24. So my bracelet will have 10 beads only cause it will be a lot to do it every year. My first tattoo is of the day I stopped self harming and I have it on my left wrist to remind me when i write. Never be ashame of your scars they tell your story.

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Tracy
July, 24 2018 at 3:58 am

Hi Amanda! I know your reply is old (as is this post) but today is my 10 year anniversary of not cutting! I saw in your comment 2018 will be your 10 year also. Congratulations!!!!

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